Kinesiology Graduate Seminar: Barbara Ainsworth, PhD

Monday, March 26, 2018 - 1:25pm

Location: IALS Life Sciences Lab. S330-340

The Department of Kinesiology welcomes Barbara Ainsworth, Regents’ Professor at the School of Nutrition and Health Promotion at Arizona State University, to campus for a guest lecture on Monday, March 26, at 1:25 pm in the Life Sciences Laboratory building room S330-340. Ainsworth will deliver a talk titled "The Evolution of Physical Activity Assessment: From Minnesota to Massachusetts."

Ainsworth's research focuses on the assessment of physical activity in populations, the evaluation of physical activity questionnaires, and physical activity in women. She is best known as the lead author for the Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, an exhaustive list of the energy cost of human physical activities.

“Dr. Ainsworth is an internationally renowned researcher and an undisputed world leader in physical activity assessment,” says Professor of Kinesiology and seminar host Catrine Tudor-Locke. “She has contributed countless seminal thought pieces to the scientific literature, leading the way in advancing our understanding of the important role of physical activity in health. Her visit to UMass Amherst will serve as inspiration to a new generation of researchers and practitioners focused on optimizing approaches to measurement and modulation of this essential and health-promoting behavior.”

Ainsworth is a Past President of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the National Academy of Kinesiology. She is a recipient of the ACSM Citation and Honor Awards and the SHAPE America McKenzie Award. In 2015 she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition and has also has served on the President’s Council and the California Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sport Scientific Committees. She is a life-long advocate of active living and spends her free time maintaining her yard and animals in Arizona, bicycling, and hiking in the nearby hills.

Ainsworth's lecture is a part of the Department of Kinesiology Graduate Seminar Series, and is co-sponsored by the School of Public Health and Health Sciences.